Telephones have now been in use in public places for quite some time. These public telephones quite often require coins to make a telephone call therefrom. A call is generally made by placing coins in a slot in the phone and, thereafter, dialing the desired telephone number. In the past, rotary-type dial pads were common whereas now most phones are equipped with touch-tone type dialing pads.
More recently, access to public telephones has become available through the use of credit card numbers. Rather than requiring coins for making a telephone call, both local and long distance telephone line carriers are providing credit card numbers to their customers for their use in making calls and through which the customer's account is billed. In this regard, the individual having a credit card number need only dial his/her credit card number on the telephone dialing pad thereby gaining access to the telephone lines and making his/her telephone call. The individual making the call is, thereafter, billed for the cost of the telephone call in a monthly or some other timely statement.
Unfortunately, there are those unscrupulous thieves who obtain another's telephone credit card number and, thereafter, use it for their own unauthorized benefit. Once another's telephone credit card number is obtained without the card owner's knowledge, numerous telephone calls can be made at the expense of the telephone credit card holder or the telephone line carriers. In fact, the credit card number owner/holder quite often doesn't know that his/her credit card number has become known to others until after a statement is received showing the telephone calls not made by the credit card holder. Unfortunately, even though the credit card number can be canceled at that time, the damage has already been done. In addition, catching the thief is literally impossible.
More often than not, a thief learns of another's telephone credit card number by looking over one's shoulder as the credit card number is punched into a telephone dial pad. In fact, some thieves have been known to use binoculars to view from a distance the use of another's credit card number.
Accordingly, a need exists for a reliable means of preventing thieves from stealing one's credit card number while, nevertheless, allowing the credit card holder to use his/her credit card number. This need is especially present for telephones located in public places.